Hold Musak

Credit: chronicle.su

"Who picks this music?"

If you're like me, you've asked this question many times after eleven minutes on hold to your bank or insurance company. It's boring and repetitive, and most of all it makes you feel frustrated and patronized. But it doesn't have to be that way. Hold music is sonic branding, and you can use it to reinforce your positioning while (hopefully) providing something actually fun to listen to.

Pick a risk

Fun things contain an element of risk - from sports to travel, art and certainly music. Without risks you have no fun, and no brand, so pick music that takes risks your customers would enjoy. It might be music that's less formal than they expect, or music that's newer, or even funny or ironic. A youth focused mobile brand shouldn't play music their customers' parents would like. Older people tend to be more risk averse, but that doesn't mean no risk.

License more songs

Choose more than enough songs to cover your longest wait times. When songs start repeating, customers feel they are stuck in an endless loop. This has been my single biggest source of complaints. If I’m going to be stuck in an endless loop, I want it to be while skydiving or eating a five star meal, not on hold.

Be coherent

It’s tempting to choose music from twenty different genres so everyone will like something. Which is the same as everybody hating most of it. You already have a clear style when it comes to visual design, so have one for your music. It might all be from local artists, it might all be hip hop, it might all be about beards.

Just say no to Pina Coladas

Resist pressure to include some of the old favourites in the mix. You’re making a statement here, and the more you compromise, the more you’ll lose the effect.

Good luck!